Professional Services Council

Professional Services Council
Name	Professional Services Council
Formation	1943
Type	Trade association
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Leader title	President and CEO

Professional Services Council is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing companies that provide services to the United States federal government. It advocates on procurement, acquisition, and contracting matters and convenes industry and government leaders for policy dialogue and partnership. The organization engages with lawmakers, executive branch agencies, and oversight bodies to influence rules and funding affecting federal contractors.

History

Founded in 1943 amid the mobilization for World War II, the council grew during the Cold War with ties to major defense contractors and professional services firms. It expanded through the post-war era as agencies such as the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration increased outsourced services. The organization navigated regulatory shifts driven by statutes like the Federal Acquisition Regulation and oversight from institutions including the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Management and Budget. In the 1990s and 2000s, responses to events such as the Gulf War and the September 11 attacks shaped its role in advising on contingency contracting, while debates around the Clinger-Cohen Act and the Competition in Contracting Act influenced its advocacy.

Mission and Activities

The council's mission emphasizes policies to support companies providing professional, technical, and management services to agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and the Department of Energy. Activities include organizing conferences that bring together officials from the Federal Acquisition Institute, congressional committees like the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and procurement leaders from firms such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, Raytheon Technologies, and General Dynamics. It produces reports addressing legislation like the Service Contract Act and engages with standards bodies including the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises large and small firms across sectors including defense, information technology, health, and engineering, with companies such as Accenture, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, CACI International, and Booz Allen Hamilton historically active. Governance is overseen by a board of directors that often includes executives from firms that engage with agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency. Committees and working groups coordinate positions on issues involving acquisition officers in agencies like the General Services Administration and the Defense Contract Management Agency. The council collaborates with trade counterparts such as the National Defense Industrial Association and the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.

Policy and Advocacy

The council advocates on procurement policy, appropriations, and legislative matters before the United States Congress, the White House, and regulators like the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council. It files comments on proposed rules affecting contracts awarded by entities such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and submits testimony to committees including the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. Policy positions have addressed oversight by tribunals like the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and legal frameworks stemming from cases adjudicated at the United States Court of Federal Claims. The council also engages in coalition efforts with organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable on issues like cybersecurity standards promulgated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Programs and Services

Programs include conferences, research, legal and regulatory briefings, and liaison services connecting members with acquisition officials from agencies including the National Institutes of Health and the Federal Communications Commission. Educational offerings address compliance with laws such as the False Claims Act and directives from the Office of Personnel Management and provide guidance on audits by the Department of Defense Inspector General and the Office of Inspector General. The council publishes analyses on topics like contract types under the Federal Acquisition Regulation and hosts award ceremonies that recognize public-private collaboration akin to honors from the Presidential Management Fellows program or sector awards given by the Association of the United States Army.

Funding and Financials

Funding derives from member dues, sponsorships from corporations including firms like IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle Corporation, and fees for events and research services. Financial oversight follows nonprofit reporting frameworks applicable to trade associations and engages accounting practices influenced by standards from the Financial Accounting Standards Board. The council's budgetary priorities typically allocate resources to advocacy, member services, and conference operations, while financial scrutiny can involve audits and inquiries by entities such as the Internal Revenue Service and congressional appropriations subcommittees.

Category:Trade associations based in the United States